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The National Citizen Party on Saturday said that the two student advisers in the interim government had no affiliation with it (NCP).

NCP convener Nahid Islam, at an emergency press conference at the party’s temporary office in the city, explained that they had joined the government as representatives of the mass uprising, mentioning that he himself was one of them at the time.

Nahid claimed that linking the two student advisers to the National Citizen Party was a form of propaganda aimed at discrediting them.

‘We strongly condemn and protest the false propaganda linking the two student advisers to the NCP,’ he said.

The NCP statement came days after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party had demanded the resignation of local government, rural development and co-operatives affairs adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain and information and broadcasting affairs adviser Md Mahfuj Alam for their alleged involvement in the newly floated party.

Nahid also urged the interim government to announce a July Declaration and a comprehensive road map encompassing the trial of the July uprising killings, reforms, and elections and to move toward a sustainable solution through inclusive discussions with all parties to restore public confidence and build mutual trust among political forces.

He expressed his expectation that chief adviser Muhammad Yunus would, from his position, engage in political discussions with all parties to work towards a solution to the ongoing political crisis.

‘At the same time, the political parties and every one of our people must behave responsibly,’ he said.

Muhammad Yunus took charge of the government in the context of a mass uprising and there were expectations that the interim government would fulfill the people’s demands for justice, reform, and a peaceful transition to elections, said Nahid.

He posed the question if the interim government was merely an election-time administration or one meant to realise the goals of the uprising.

Nahid said that the interim government, given the circumstances under which it was formed, had a responsibility to fulfill the aspirations of the mass uprising.

Regarding the December-June period, mentioned by the government for holding the next general elections, the NCP believes that if the government acts in good faith and the political parties maintain a cooperative attitude, it would be possible to move towards the elections within the timeframe along with holding trials, carrying out reforms, preparing the July Declaration and making the July Charter visible, he further said.

In response to a question, Nahid said that the NCP had no organisational affiliation with the March for Yunus or the campaign supporting a five-year tenure for the current government.

Citing the list of 626 individuals who had received refuge in cantonments after the August 5 political changeover, published by the Bangladesh Army, he said that had the army released the list earlier, that could have prevented the public suspicion and criticism of the institution (army).

Highlighting the importance of the army’s role in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, Nahid acknowledged its significance during the mass uprising, but cautioned against the entanglement of the military with politics that happened historically. He observed that such entanglements have often harmed democracy and the military’s institutional integrity.

‘We know about the 1/11 incident. This incident did never bring good results for our democracy, for our state, and for our army as an institution,’ he further observed.

Highlighting past political misuse of state institutions and allegations of human rights violations, including by the bureaucracy, police and army, he called for accountability and trials of the accused to restore public trust.

‘We don’t know if many of the army officers accused of involvement in enforced disappearances have been arrested or what their current status is. If these issues are clarified, the army will earn a greater confidence as an institution and we want to see that confidence placed in the army,’ Nahid said.

The NCP leader alleged that there was an attempt to legitimise the elections held during the Awami League’s tenure by seeking validation through the court and efforts were being made to show those elections as legitimate.

He cautioned that such actions would only lead to further chaos as all anti-fascist political parties had declared the elections held under the Awami regime as illegitimate.

Therefore, Nahid demanded, instead of creating confusion over those elections there should be a move towards local government elections to reduce sufferings of the citizens.

NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain, chief organiser Hasnat Abdullah, and senior Joint convener Samantha Sharmin, among others, attended the press conference.